SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino men's soccer team opens the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, when they will face off against the third-seeded Point Loma Nazarene University Sea Lions.

 

Last Meeting

The Coyotes defeated the Sea Lions 2-1 in San Diego on September 4. Senior Anthony Morales (Orange, Calif.) and sophomore Rafa Fonseca (Fontana, Calif.) each scored a goal for the Yotes in the victory.

 

How They Got Here

Cal State San Bernardino enters the match with a 9-3-7 record on the season. They finished in a tie for fourth place in the CCAA standings. They were eliminated in the first round of the CCAA Tournament to Cal State San Marcos on penalty kicks.

Point Loma enters the match with a 15-3-1 record, winning both the PacWest regular season and conference tournament titles.

 

Players to Watch

Leading the way for the Coyotes will be All-CCAA First Team selection Tony Negrete (Hawaiian Gardens, Calif.). Morales, who has eight goals and seven assists and earned Second Team All-Conference honors, will also be a factor.

The Sea Lions will be led by First Team selections Cole Friesen, Ryan Doyle, and Gael Ruiz, as well as Second Team selection Emmett Layman. Layman and Friesen lead the team in goals scored with 14 and 13, respectively.

Redshirt junior Donovan Palomares (Boyle Heights, Calif.) is the probable starter in goal for the Yotes. He enters Saturday's contest with a 6-1-7 record, with a 1.20 goals against average and a .691 save percentage. Last week, he was named a CCAA All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Point Loma's primary starting goalkeeper Jeremy Caringella started 14 games for the Sea Lions in 2025, but exited in the second half of the PacWest Semifinal, and did not play in the title match. If he is unable to go, Point Loma will turn to either Gonzalo Gurrola or Joshua Naumoff, who each appeared in three matches this season.


From the Coach's Desk

"Our team is excited for an opportunity to showcase our university and program on a national level," said Coyote head coach Josh Hill on Friday. "PLNU has established itself as a consistent tournament team and we want the same level of consistency for our program. We have special group of young men and this team is up for any task. We have a bit of everything; youth, excitement, and leadership. These are the moments we all prep for and we will be together the whole way and do our best to make our community and those who support us proud."

 

All the Details

Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday from the PLNU Soccer Field in San Diego, Calif. Tickets are available at plnusealions.universitytickets.com, and the game will be streamed live on the PacWest Network.